ISS is moving toward Russia of spent rocket: the astronauts took refuge in escape pods

24/03/2012

Six astronauts were forced to take refuge in escape pods. The reason for this was the cosmic debris that threaten to get to the International Space Station.

As reported by NASA, spent part of the Russian launch vehicle can come close to the station at a dangerously close distance.

Although the probability of a negative scenario is low, the astronauts had to take precautions and to get into the two Soyuz spacecraft that will bring them back to Earth in the event that an emergency situation does happen.

At this point, the space station has six people. The American commander Daniel Burbank and five experts, including Russians Anton Shkaplerova, Anatoly Ivanishina and Oleg Kononenko, American Donald Pettit and Netherlander Andre Kuipers from the European Space Agency.

NASA tracks the location of the wreckage of the Russian ship and said that the probability of collision is small.

"We’re not too concerned about this," - said in the Mission Control Center. The station is able to undertake a maneuver to avoid a dangerous path, but it’s not enough time.